Have you seen the new Godzilla trailer which gives a peep into how massive its going to be, from million angles-million number of times? Have you seen Bryan Cranston switch roles from meth cooking-chemistry teacher to Godzilla hunting nuclear physicist? I am waiting for it. I like these movies on massive creatures where a bunch of scientists turn into active enthusiasts combating for the world and end up contributing by doing pregnancy tests. I look forward to it and while I do, I have been able to notice two things for sure. One, Bryan Cranston is best as Dr. Who's who; science suits him, he looks convincing while driving complex over the top scientific experiments and can pull off 'man-with-a-mission' persona very well. Two, the reason why Godzilla can cross seven seas to make an appearance in the U.S. of A is primarily because its visa requirement is pretty relaxed.
I mean come on, recall that wherever you traveled in the world, across whichever continent and country, one sight is common and can be copy-pasted in any background. A Japanese person with small shoes, medium-sized rucksack and a big DSLR. They are everywhere...They are of course not super rich, super adventurous or all born with the wanderlust- they do it because they can, they can because their passport gets them Visa free entry. Most counties of Asia, Americas, Africa, Europe and Oceania give them entry visa free or issue it on-arrival.
Phew! This extends to several other citizens of developed countries, so much so that recently even to UAE citizens! That explains the lifestyles. Most of the friends I meet while traveling have the following to say. They grow up with the idea of seeing the world. Wandering is a part of their agenda. They do a job, save some money and spend next year or two traveling. It is an allotted part of their lives. Traveling is not a luxury or off-the routine phase of life. It is factored in as they grow up.
Its just that their journey of thousand miles does begin with a step, not a visa application! As we speak, in another kryptonian country India, the struggle continues.
I loathe my Indian passport for this reason. I can't go on impulse trips or act on mood swings. I have to plan and look up and then apply and interview and pay to win my right to be able to step in the soil err air of most of the countries. There you go- wanderlust short lived. It is said that a good and happy traveler has no fixed plans or intent on arriving or leaving. I've had a little taste of traveling with no plans while on student exchange program in Europe. And long after that, several travelogues later, I can easily say that carefree, itinerary free travel is the best. Finding yourself in places unaccounted for is much better than finding places to go. The whole idea of traveling is the feeling that makes you modest, adaptive and happy. It is meant to replicate life in a smaller frame where you find rapid change in situations and go along with them to see how you fare and feel.
Traveling is like a trailer to life, or like a crash course. Good thing is it doesn't come with performance pressure. It doesn't even come with any clause of do's and don'ts. You can choose to meet people, fall in love with people and places, stay back, not see the sough-after or you can do nothing. You aren't expected to do anything by the book. You only have to do what you want to do. I feel the best reason why people can be like this is because of the disregard to everything and everything's disregard to them. Usually our behavior is influenced by how we have projected ourselves or how we are perceived in our proxemics. It is altered by judgments made and inferred. On the other hand, while traveling, we are in alien environment. We are amongst unknown people who do anything but judge or expect a certain way of behavior or mannerism. What is left is equally supported by the fact that these people and places occur in the brief timeline of our life so we can choose the character of our guest appearance.
This is why you will see people who have had some share of journey change a bit, if you can see that. They get older and wiser. They have been able to try what they were wanting and avoiding due to the known environment. They could taste things, try people, explore places, chance their luck in love, fail in blind trust... If I may say, they could do all they wanted to do while nobody was watching. This is also the reason that travel liberates them. Acting on long due whims either clarify how you are a failure at that or give you confidence to openly adopt them. It is based on the same logic as how we find someone so close not being able to share something they could share with a random casual acquaintance- because it matters how you would take it and judge them. Unknown brings fear of uncertainty but balances it with lack of concern of reactions.
Hence I say, it sucks that Indian passport holders needs to apply for visa beforehand all the time. Of course this is not out of great concern and repercussions on the country as a whole but from my personal frustration before traveling. But having said that, joining the dots, it collectively impacts the average Indian mentality. If most cultures are filtered and brought to the country for everyone's display, the evolution or emergence of modern ideas and society will get flawed and super biased. We are showed the world in predefined color of light which can't be altered. Its like seeing a tiger in zoo and assessing its might. And this part is just one very small aspect that most people miss when traveling is made harder for them. If sorting this is on priority for the country, I hope it happens really soon. Time will run perpetually- also people will run out of desire or courage...
So here it is, my journal of frustration on the visa regime, love for the journeys, scattered abstract philosophy and desire to visit Godzilla before it visits me!
I mean come on, recall that wherever you traveled in the world, across whichever continent and country, one sight is common and can be copy-pasted in any background. A Japanese person with small shoes, medium-sized rucksack and a big DSLR. They are everywhere...They are of course not super rich, super adventurous or all born with the wanderlust- they do it because they can, they can because their passport gets them Visa free entry. Most counties of Asia, Americas, Africa, Europe and Oceania give them entry visa free or issue it on-arrival.
Phew! This extends to several other citizens of developed countries, so much so that recently even to UAE citizens! That explains the lifestyles. Most of the friends I meet while traveling have the following to say. They grow up with the idea of seeing the world. Wandering is a part of their agenda. They do a job, save some money and spend next year or two traveling. It is an allotted part of their lives. Traveling is not a luxury or off-the routine phase of life. It is factored in as they grow up.
Its just that their journey of thousand miles does begin with a step, not a visa application! As we speak, in another kryptonian country India, the struggle continues.
I loathe my Indian passport for this reason. I can't go on impulse trips or act on mood swings. I have to plan and look up and then apply and interview and pay to win my right to be able to step in the soil err air of most of the countries. There you go- wanderlust short lived. It is said that a good and happy traveler has no fixed plans or intent on arriving or leaving. I've had a little taste of traveling with no plans while on student exchange program in Europe. And long after that, several travelogues later, I can easily say that carefree, itinerary free travel is the best. Finding yourself in places unaccounted for is much better than finding places to go. The whole idea of traveling is the feeling that makes you modest, adaptive and happy. It is meant to replicate life in a smaller frame where you find rapid change in situations and go along with them to see how you fare and feel.
Traveling is like a trailer to life, or like a crash course. Good thing is it doesn't come with performance pressure. It doesn't even come with any clause of do's and don'ts. You can choose to meet people, fall in love with people and places, stay back, not see the sough-after or you can do nothing. You aren't expected to do anything by the book. You only have to do what you want to do. I feel the best reason why people can be like this is because of the disregard to everything and everything's disregard to them. Usually our behavior is influenced by how we have projected ourselves or how we are perceived in our proxemics. It is altered by judgments made and inferred. On the other hand, while traveling, we are in alien environment. We are amongst unknown people who do anything but judge or expect a certain way of behavior or mannerism. What is left is equally supported by the fact that these people and places occur in the brief timeline of our life so we can choose the character of our guest appearance.
This is why you will see people who have had some share of journey change a bit, if you can see that. They get older and wiser. They have been able to try what they were wanting and avoiding due to the known environment. They could taste things, try people, explore places, chance their luck in love, fail in blind trust... If I may say, they could do all they wanted to do while nobody was watching. This is also the reason that travel liberates them. Acting on long due whims either clarify how you are a failure at that or give you confidence to openly adopt them. It is based on the same logic as how we find someone so close not being able to share something they could share with a random casual acquaintance- because it matters how you would take it and judge them. Unknown brings fear of uncertainty but balances it with lack of concern of reactions.
Hence I say, it sucks that Indian passport holders needs to apply for visa beforehand all the time. Of course this is not out of great concern and repercussions on the country as a whole but from my personal frustration before traveling. But having said that, joining the dots, it collectively impacts the average Indian mentality. If most cultures are filtered and brought to the country for everyone's display, the evolution or emergence of modern ideas and society will get flawed and super biased. We are showed the world in predefined color of light which can't be altered. Its like seeing a tiger in zoo and assessing its might. And this part is just one very small aspect that most people miss when traveling is made harder for them. If sorting this is on priority for the country, I hope it happens really soon. Time will run perpetually- also people will run out of desire or courage...
So here it is, my journal of frustration on the visa regime, love for the journeys, scattered abstract philosophy and desire to visit Godzilla before it visits me!
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